Table-fork



E. E. ALBIN.

TABLE FORK.

-(No Model.)

No. 331,177. Patented Nov. 24. 1885.

PIC-L2- FIG. 3.

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INVBNTOR 6, (S QZAA w' ATTORNEY v D FFICEO ELMER E. ALBIN, OFSPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

TABLE-FORK.

SJPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,177, datedNovember 24:, 1885. Application filed May 26, 1885. Serial No. 166,765.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Belitflknown that I, ELMER E. ALBIN, of Springfield, in the county ofClark and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful improvements intable-forks having a cuttingblade at one side opposite the tine, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention consists in making the cuttingblade separate from the forkitself, and providing it with such attaching mechanism as enables theuser to attach it to the fork and de tach it therefrom at will.

7 A combined knife and fork is a very desirable article for somepurposes, and forks with one tine extended sidewise and fashioned toconstitute a cutting-edge are in common use. Such forks are not,however, considered appropriate for general table purposes, and, ifpossessed at all, theymust be kept as special articles for the purposesdesigned. To avoid this inconvenience, I make a cutting-blade providedwith a socket along its back or other suitable device adapted. toreceive and hold one tine of an ordinary table-fork, and thus at atrifling cost adapt any table-fork to the special use for which thefork-knife was designed.

That others may fully understand my inven tion, I will particularlydescribe it, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of my inven tion. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation or edge view. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section through the socket. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionof the blade. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the blade detached.

A is an ordinary table-fork, and B is the attachable and detachableblade.

The blade B may be provided with a variety of known devices forattaching it to the tinesuch as spring-latches, screws, clamps, &c.; butI prefer to provide a socket, d, along its back, either continuous or inthe form of three or more loops, adapted to receive and securely hold tothe tine e of the fork A, because the socket is easy to construct, notliable to derangement, and equally efficacious with any.

The blade B has a cutting-edge, f, along its outer margin.

The blade B, I prefer to make about two inches in length andfive-eighths of an inch in width; but these dimensions are arbitrary andmay be varied as desired. At the upper end Iprefer to cut away one sideof the socket d,

as shown at 9, so as to permit the upper end of the blade to pass abovethe juncture of the tines.

The socket may be formed in various ways well known to mechanics; but Iprefer to make the blade solid and to form the socket by drilling.Afterward the blade and socket will be curved slightly more or less thanthe curve of the tine, so that when forced upon the tine the spring ofone or both will hold the blade firmly on the tine. The curvature of theblade B places the several points of contact of the socket with the tineout of right line, and therefore gives to said blade a broad base,(indi' cated by the versed sine q, supported on said tine,) and rendersit impossible to move it out of plane by torsion or by revolving thetine. The most perfect attachment is by a continuous socket; but thesame results may be obt-ained by having the bearings of the socket onlyin the proper number of places, whether these bearings be formed of thesame pieces of the blade or of parts secured to it.

By having the blade B connected to the tine, as above described, it maybe attached or detached in a moment of time. No latch-fastenings of anykind are required, as the spring of one from the other, caused by thedifference of curvature in the blade and tine, prevents the blade fromcoming off the tine when in use.

The blade and fork may be separately cleaned when detached.

Believing myself to be the firstto ever use with an ordinary table-forkan attachable and detachable cutting-blade, I do not intend to limitmyself to the particular form of blade or to any particular mode ofattachment to the tine.

Having described my invention, I claim' 1. A tablefork, A, combined witha detachable blade, B, provided with a cutting-edge on one margin and onthe other a holding device adapted to receive the tine of said fork,substantially as set forth.

2. The blade B, curved flatwise and having along one margin acutting-edge, f, andalong the other margin one or more sockets, d, and aspace, 9, whereby said blade may be attached to the tine of an ordinarytable-fork, substantially as shown.

ELMER E. ,ALBIN.

Witnesses:

L. Born, F. B. FURNISS.

